Radiator protector



April 7, 1925.

T P HARRIS RADIATOR PROTECTOR Filed Jan. 5, 1924 protect the lower Patented heir. 7, 1925.

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Tia-ones r. HARRIS,

RADIATOR Application filed January T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, T omas P. HARRIs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident ,Of Clarinda, in the county of Page and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Radiator Protector, of which the following i a sp ifi at n- The object of my invention is to provide a simple, protector device designed to be readily, I uickly and easily applied to a radiator without the use of tools of any kind, and when so applied it will form an insulator to portion of a radiator from the direct impact of the air during excessiyely low temperatures.

'A further object is to this character which, when applied, securely but yieldably held in position to prevent vibration relative to the automobile radiator .or frame, and which will prevent any marring of the finish of the radiator frame when in use.

My invention consists in the construction ,of the protector and in the arrangement and combination thereof with an automobile frame and radiator, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter m e fully et forth, po e o t in in the accompanying provide device of cla msgand llus a drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a front elevation of a portion' of an automobile frame and radiator with pay improved protector applied thereto a in u e Figure 2 shows an enlarged sectional view 1. the l n 2+2 Fi 1; a a

Figure 3 shows a .detail front elevation of aportion of the automobile frame cross pieces directly below the radiator and forming ,a support for the crank bracket.

Referring to the accompanying drawings rny improved radiator protector comprises a body portion 10 preferably formed of fiber board having a slight degree of resiliencyor flexibility. Its top and side edges are arranged on lines at right angles to each other, and its bottom edge is inclined from the sides downwardly and toward the center and at the center there is an upwardly extending notch with curved shoulders at 11. At the top edge of the body portion 10 there is a metal reinforcing binder 12, and at. the side edges are metal reinforcing bindr s W t en rom ne he t p edg downward y o a poi p ced apar fr m durable and inexpensive radiator will be or OLABIND-l IOWA.

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5 1924i. Serial No. ceases the lower edge as hereinafter more fully set forth. 7 1

Attached to the body portion 10 at points spaced substantial distance above thelower edge, and at points spaced on opposite sides of the vertical central line, are two spring clips, each of which comprises an anchoring portion 1a et -ztended through the body portion 10, then upwardly and along the rear face thereof; then again forwardly through the body portion 10 and then downwardly across the front face of the body portion to rigidly anchor the clip to the body portion 10. Below this anchoring portion is the holding portion which extends downwardly and rearwardly at 16, and then again downwardly and forwardly at 17.

The parts of the automobile with which my device is associated comprise a radiator 18, a radiator frame 19, which latter comprises a bar 20, extended across the lower portion of the radiator frame. This bar 20, in some kinds of automobiles, for instance the Ford automobile, is connected to the frame 19 only at its ends and its central portion is free to swing forwardly and rearwardly a slight distance relative to the front face of the radiator. e

Below the radiator frame there is a cross piece 21 of the automobile frame, and at the central portion thereof there is a bracket 22 secured thereto and in which the crank 28 is supported. This bracket 22 extends downwardly across piece 21 and projects a slight distance in front of it, and at the ends of the cross piece 21 there are the ends 24: of other parts of the frame which usually overlap the front of the part 21 and are connected thereto by rivets 25, the heads of which project some distance in front of the cross piece 21. This cross piece 21 is spaced va substantial distance below the bottom member of the radiator frame, and the front edge of the bracket 22 and the front edges of the rivets 25 and frame members 24: project slightly in front of a vertical line at the front face of the radiator, as shown in Figure 2.

In applying my improved protector to a radiator I place it flat against the front face of the radiator and then slide it down between the front of the radiator and the cross member 20 at the lower part of the radiator frame. If necessary this cross member20 may be easly sprung forwardly a slight disance topfirmit downward move e t of e the face of the cross protector. This downward movement is continued until the spring clips 15 engage the cross member 20 and moved to the position shown in Figure 2, with the part 16 below the cross member 20. During this move ment the rounded edges 11 at the bottom edge of the protector will have engaged the crank 23, and the crank will then enter the slot at the bottom of the protector and loosely engage the sides of the slot.

During this downward movement of the protector, its lower edge will engage the bracket 22 and be forced slightly forwardly, and at'the same time the side lower edges of the protector will engage the rounded heads of the rivets'25 and be projected slightly forwardly, although not as much as the central portion of the protector. By thus extending the lower edge of the flexible and resilient fiber board slightly forwardly, the cross member 20 serves as a fulcrum and tends to firmly hold the upper portion of the protector against the front of the radiator, thereby preventing vibration of the protector relative to the other parts with which it is in contact.

By having the top edge and portions of the side edges of the protector reinfroced wit-h metal'binders, the upper portion of the protector is prevented from warping or sagging forwardly. However, the side edge metal binders extend only to a point above the cross member 20, thus leaving that portion of the protector below a line above the cross piece 21 flexible and resilient and not made rigid by the metal binder.

The metal binders 13 are held against contact at any time with the radiator frame 20 and the entire protector is held against lateral movement by the slot at the lower end of the protector engaging the sides of the frame, and the spring clips prevent all up and down movement of the radiator protector when it is once applied.

In practical use the radiator protector may be firmly and permanently attached in position for operation by simply placing it against the front of the radiator and pushing it downwardly and it may be detached by simply grasping its front edge and pull-- ing it upwardly. and no tools are required or time lost in either attaching or detaching the protector.

In protectors of this character that contemplate covering the entire front of the radiator, it is always necessary and desirable to provide some means for ventilation for the upper half or more of the radiator. Experience has shown that after an automobile h'as been run for a very few minutes, it is not advantageous, even in extremely low temperatures, to cover all of the radiator front, and in practice I have found that with my improved protector covering only the lower half or less of the radiator front, it

sign of heating, "the protector may be readily, quickly and easily removed without tools. i

I claim as my invention:

1. A radiator protector comprising a body portion made of resilient yielding material such as fiber board shaped to rest against the front of the lower portion of the radiator and between the sides of the radiator frame and to extend downwardly between the lower member of the radiator frame and the front of the radiator to a point spaced a material distance below the lower member of the radiator frame and to' engage and rest upon portions of the automobile frame below the radiator and slightly in front of a vertical line at the front of the radiator, spring clip devices attached to the body por tion and designed to engage the lower member of the radiator frame, whereby the radiator protector may be attached to a radiator by placing it against the front of the radiator and moving it downwardly until the clips engage the said cross member of the radiator frame, and during such downward movement the lower edge portion of the protector will be sprung forwardly to engage the portions of theautomobile frame that are in front of the radiator to thereby cause the lower radiator frame member to serve as a fulcrum to hold the upper end of the protector against the radiator.

2. A radiator protector comprising a body portion made of resilient yielding material such as fiber boa-rd shaped to rest against the front of the lower portion of the radiator and between the sides of the radiator frame and to extend downwardly between the lower member of the radiator frame and the front of the radiator to a point spaced a material distance below the lower member of the radiator frame and to engage and rest upon portions of the automobile frame below the radiator and slightly in front of a vertical line at the front of the radiator, spring clip devices attached to the body portion and designed to engage the lower member of the radiator frame, whereby the radiator protector may be attached to a radiator by placing it against the front of the radiator and moving itdownwardly wardly to engage until the clips engage the said cross member of the radiator frame, and during such downward movement the lower edge portion of the protector will be sprung forthe portions of the automobile frame that are in front of the radiator to thereby cause the lower radiator frame member to serve as a fulcrum to hold the upper end of the protector against the radiator, and reinforcing metal binders applied to the side edges of the protector and extending from a point above the lower cross member of the radiator frame to a point adjacent to the top edge thereof.

Des Moines, Iowa, December 5, 1923.

THOMAS P. HARRIS. 

